Losing your father at the tender age of eight can be quite unsettling, to say the least. But even this big a tragedy could not deter Ms. Aparajita Rai to abandon her dreams, and she went on to become the first Gorkha female IPS officer of Sikkim. Since then, she has received various laurels for her work including the IPS Officers’ Trophy for the best Lady Outdoor Probationer, Shri Umesh Chandra Trophy for Field Combat, the Senior Course Officers Trophy for Best Turn Out as also the West Bengal Government Trophy.

A NIGHTMARE FOR CRIMINALS

Ms. Rai is known for her valor, and she never backs out from difficult circumstance. She goes deep into the roots of a case and investigates it from inside out. Only last year, she busted a “corporate style” smuggling syndicate and seized an unbelievable amount of eight kg gold, 74 kg silver jewelry and nearly three kg of narcotics from a bus on its way to Kolkata from Siliguri. Several other headlines had made its way that year, stating how Kolkata is becoming a transit route for illegal substances coming all the way from Myanmar.

As Ms Rai said in an interview, “We’re continuously monitoring and seizing drugs which are coming from other states into Kolkata. It is not correct to say that Kolkata is being used as a transit route. But yes, Bengal can be considered as a transit route, basically due to the chicken neck that connects the north-east to the rest of India. Whatever information we get regarding such movements, we monitor them closely and act accordingly”.

Not just normal crimes, Ms. Rai is also very quick in solving cyber-crimes, which are growing at a tremendous rate. Anti-Bank fraud cases were being reported almost every day and Ms. Rai decided to look into the matter herself. As the head of cyber unit or anti-bank fraud, she finds it difficult to prove the efficiency of the agency in the eyes of the general public. She tries her best to block the money, get it recovered and get it sent back through court orders in several cases, but it becomes difficult to make people understand that in such cases usually, they might not get the money back in case it gets lost.

Ms Rai’s first priority, therefore, lies in explaining the case to the complainant and what needs to be done further, depending upon the case. “This makes the person more cautious in his future dealings, and through word-of-mouth other people related to him to learn about the experience and what all should be done in case anything similar comes up,” she said, adding that “People still do not understand what cybercrime is, technically or legally. They are yet to know the ramifications of cybercrime.”

SPECIAL TASK FOR THE SPECIAL LADY

Ms. Rai has been posted to a lot of positions and believes that with each posting, she is lucky enough to learn new lessons and face new challenges which groomed her as an officer and also grow as a human. She felt honored when she was asked to spearhead a band of extensively trained officers, part of the Kolkata Police Special Task Force (STF). This force deals with both internal and external security and gets assigned special tasks.

“We also look at narcotics, arms dealings and anything that concerns the security aspects. At times, all this is quite challenging for me, but I have accepted it with open arms. We must learn to accept the harsh realities and also follow our passions,” she emphasized.

DISCOVERING THE UNDISCOVERED

After being in the service for a few years, Ms. Rai felt that she needs to spread her wings and therefore, decided to venture into new domains and explore rare territories. To discover more, she participated in the 12th All India Police Badminton Championship held in Bhopal, by the all- India Police Sports Board which organizes different sports at national level, and displayed a spectacular sporting performance in front of the audiences. She won a silver medal and brought laurels to the state of Sikkim. “The competition is high and I must improve a lot in my game. I want to qualify and compete in the open category” she says.

THE CREATIVE SIDE

Ms. Rai has more to her than solving crimes and playing sports. She is a firm believer in doing aerobics and has made it a ritualistic pattern of her life. Moreover, like every North-Eastern, she is particularly fond of music and loves playing guitar. The love for music is very common in her community and she believes it also helps her in establishing connections with people. She also enjoys interacting with people through WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook as they provide her with a wide base and a vast exposure. She loves listening to other’s stories and enjoys motivating them.